We first met in university close to a decade ago at a student event. I was a freshman and he was an upperclassman. Being from two different cultures on two different continents, we could not have been more different from each other. However, as we spent more time together throughout university and after, we realized that we had a lot more in common than we thought. We easily bonded over our love for travelling, good food and good wine. We had both learned how to speak French in our youth and also appreciated French food and culture.

When we were planning our wedding, we had a few unusual requirements. First was location: Our friends and families are strewn all over the globe. Regardless of where the wedding were to be, two thirds of our guests would be flying for a very long time. Thus we wanted an unforgettable wedding venue that is well-worth the journey for all of our guests. The location also had to be easily accessible and not far from a major international airport hub. Lastly, we wanted to accommodate all of our guests on site with a luxurious, 5 star experience. Le Domaine des Etangs checked all of our boxes. Located in the Charente region of France, close to where Cognac is from, it is surrounded by natural beauty, history and character. An 11th century castle that’s been recently restored and transformed into a luxury hotel with contemporary amenities and art was the perfect setting to share our special moment with our guests.

Our other requirement was food: We both love good food and wine and as such we wanted to share that passion with our guests at the wedding. Fabien Beaufour, who previously was chef at Eleven Madison Park in New York, understood how to deliver the best possible food for our wedding. His menu focused on celebrating local ingredients, including a salad where all the ingredients are from the vegetable garden at the Domaine, beef from the nearby Limoges region, and melons from Charente. The Domaine also makes a large variety of their own local cheeses, which we got to enjoy in between courses.

All of this combined created an absolutely stunning and unforgettable setting for our wedding. When we decided to look for a photographer to capture it, we wanted to make sure that he has both an eye for the little, but oh-so-important details as well as the aesthetic sense to capture such a fantastical setting. When I found Oliver I knew I had found a perfect combination of the two. He fell in love with the location as much as we had and went above and beyond capturing the perfect romantic shots, from scouting out the perfect spot for our first look to rowing a boat onto the lake and taking photos from there.

I was determined to not look for my wedding dress until we had found our dream venue. I wanted a wedding dress that was fit for the venue we chose. With a medieval Chateau in the French countryside as the backdrop of the wedding ceremony, I chose a Pronovias ball-gown dress with detailed floral embroidery on the bodice as an ode to the surrounding natural beauty. An intricate matching veil with an extensive train that would stand up to the occasion. Given such setting, black tie wasn’t optional.

I picked a color palette of white, blush pink and purple for an understated kind of elegance and romance to the occasion. The peonies and roses in my bouquet were chosen as a nod to the floral embroidery on my dress.

From Loli Events… ​​One of the best perks of being a wedding is planner is discovering incredible venues and as we all know, France is overflowing when it comes to spectacular gems. Le Domaine des Etangs is definitely one of them.

Janice and Sergei came all the way from California to find the perfect venue for their France destination wedding. They were looking for a beautiful place, which could accommodate all their guests but also offer an exquisite experience. By that, they sought: beautiful landscape, great food and amazing wines! Le Domaine des Etangs, a 5-Star Luxury Hotel checked all these boxes and this is how this fairytale wedding came to life.

Another fun part of the planning process was to find great local vendors. Kerrie Langfield did an amazing job pampering the bride and her bridal party while Lisa Gatenby created the perfect bouquets and compositions that perfectly matched the couple’s vision.

Beautifully captured by the talented Oliver Fly, the wedding vibe was about adding sophistication and simplicity to this natural environment. The bride went with some touches of purple and soft palette to create a timeless decoration.